Be Strong. Be Fit.

How To Stay Fit Even When You Are 100 Years Old?

I am not so sure whether I will be able to exercise when I am 100 years old, assuming I am able to live that long. Ida Wasserman celebrated her 100th birthday and this great grandmother started off her day in gym. She does her stretching in her sweat suit and black orthopedic shoes. Then, she exercises her arm followed by 2 miles per hour on the treadmill before rowing for nearly 20 minutes. She also does leg presses and able to pull down 58 pounds of weight to tone her biceps.

Few years ago, doctor diagnosed Ida Wasserman with severe osteoporosis. She had to walk with a walker and doctor said she would not live long. Wasserman then moved to a retirement community to live with her daughter , Brueggeman, who likes exercising in gym. She asked her mum to get some muscles. That is the turning point.

Wasserman started simple exercise with a simple chair using the television show, “Sit To Be Fit”. She also practiced walking upright using a ballet barre for balance. Training with resistance machines came at the later stage. After months of exercising, the results were dramatic. No more walker, no more hunched back.

Now, this 100 years old healthy woman work out 2 hours a day, and 7 days a week.

During an interview, she said, “I would say keep active, because once you stop being active, you are no longer much of a person.”

Once we reach 30 years old, we will lose about 1 percent of muscle each year. So, to counter that loss, one should do weight training. In fact, muscles have higher metabolism which help in weight control.